The Zhang Jike of India? Ankur Bhattacharjee aspires to win many gold

Kolkata: India’s 18-year-old table tennis prodigy, Ankur Bhattacharjee, has emerged as a youth phenom, winning several titles at home and abroad.

A player of unwavering confidence and self-belief, Ankur has become a beacon of hope in the Indian table tennis' junior circuit, showcasing remarkable consistency over the past few years.

He has been unbeaten for three years now in the U-19 category. In the recently concluded 86th Junior and Youth National Table Tennis Championships in Vadodara, he notched up a golden hat-trick.

Representing West Bengal, Ankur won the gold medals in the U-19 boys’ singles, doubles and team events. He won the boys’ singles title three years in a row, showcasing his consistency and skill.

In this year’s final, he outperformed Tamil Nadu’s PB Abhinand 4-1 with power, precision and poise. His wise use of topspin, deceptive strokes and smashes mixed with accuracy and commanding gameplay meant Ankur has rightly cemented himself as India’s most promising youngster, eager to make a successful leap to the senior circuit.

As the National Table Tennis Championships 2025 got underway in Surat on January 19, the youngster has set an ambitious target.

“My next tournament is the senior nationals, I want to win the gold medal there,” Ankur declared in an exclusive interview with The Bridge.

Playing for the Petroleum Sports Promotion Board in the team event at the National Championships, he has already made a resounding start on Sunday, with Achanta Sharath Kamal making way for him.

Shining at home and away

Not only has Ankur made a mark on the national junior circuit, but he has also been equally impressive on the international junior stage.

Last year, Ankur clinched the WTT Youth Contender in Tunis. Despite being the third seed, the Indian paddler transformed the tournament into his launching pad. The then 17-year-old captured the U19 Boys' Singles title by defeating Mykyta Zavada of Ukraine 3-1.

The win was the Indian star's first U-19 international title and a step up from the U-17 Boys' Singles trophy he lifted in Rio in 2023.

2024 was a year of prominence and promise for Ankur. At the Ultimate Table Tennis last year, playing for the first time, Ankur showed some nerves in the first game before exuding his consistency by winning four of his five matches.

Among his four wins, the most sensational one came against Lilian Bardet of France, a top 20-ranked player, on his debut in the UTT. He also defeated Andreas Slavenko of Austria, a top 30 ranked player, to reinforce the belief in his game.

“In 2023 as well, I got a chance to play in the UTT and I was supposed to play for Bengaluru Smashers. But due to the Asian Championships scheduled at the same time, I could not play,” said Ankur sitting in his training hall.

“Last year, in the first match itself, I was up against Bardet. Before the match, I prepared really well and was determined to give my 100 per cent. I pledged to myself that I should win the match for my team.

“In the first game, after four services, I understood that I could win against him and I beat him 3-0. And after that I won three matches in a row. These wins gave me a lot of confidence and instilled a sense of belief that I can do well at the senior level,” he added.

His only loss came against Sharath Kamal, whom he reveres as the god of Indian table tennis – a defeat Ankur is determined to leave behind.

For a boy still striving to establish himself in the senior men’s category, these performances against seasoned players at a highly competitive professional event underlined the immense promise Ankur holds as an emerging talent.

Aspiration: Making history for India

In a highly competitive and intense Asian junior circuit, he notched up a hat-trick of medals at the Asian Championships.

However, the gold medal he desires to win at the continental championships continues to elude the Indian. Riding on the current wave of consistency, he is focussed on capitalising on his current form this year.

“I won Asian Championships bronze for three years now. I want to win the gold medal this year,” Ankur vowed.

Revealing his aspiration for the World Championships, he said, “I lost in the World Youth Championships last year, and I have one more year left in the U-19 circuit, and I aspire to win gold for India this year.”

With good results comes the pressure of expectations. Asked how he negotiates the challenge, Ankur was outright in his response.

“I like to embrace challenge,” he said, adding “I am a big fan of Virat Kohli, so like him, he does not shy away from taking challenges.”

An erudite player, Ankur, however, is wary of the differences in the level of competition between junior and senior circuits.

“There is a big difference playing in the U19 category and men’s senior,” he acknowledged.

Ankur, however, is confident that his experience of competing against India's top senior players will serve him well.

“I played with G Sathiyan, Sharath Kamal and Manav Thakkar. Recently, I won 4-0 against Manav (at the National Ranking Championships in December). The challenge in the senior category is high, but I enjoy and gain experience. I always try to enrich myself with knowledge,” avowed Ankur.

'One step at a time'

The paddler has short-term as well as long-term goals.

For now, Ankur is focused on ‘winning gold’ at the senior national championships and at the senior Asian Championships.

“I am vowed to represent India at the (Los Angeles) Olympics and win gold. But for now, I am taking one step at a time, and want to become the first Indian table tennis player to win a gold medal in the Asian Championships,” said Ankur.

Changing fields

But for all his dedication, discipline and passion with the paddle, table tennis was not his favourite sport. Due to his family's financial constraints, he had to relinquish his dream of pursuing cricket early.

Growing up in a family of table tennis players – his parents Anshuman Bhattacharya and Kuntali Bhattacharya were national-level players – meant he had no option but to play table tennis. It was his mother who encouraged him to try the sport out.

"He was not particularly interested in table tennis at all. But in 2014, I took him with me to Baguiati in Kolkata where there was a coach and encouraged him to give it a try," said Kunatli.

"We thought cricket would be an expensive game, and we would not be able to afford the costs," said Anshuman. "When he started playing table tennis, it was not as expensive initially. However, at the level he is at now, the expenses have significantly increased.

"Also, our understanding of cricket was not as strong as our knowledge of table tennis, given our own experience as national-level players," added the father.

'My parents are my biggest pillar of strength'

Recalling the role of his parents in spurring his passion for table tennis, Ankur said, “My favourite sport was cricket, but my mother taught me table tennis. I was not interested to play table tennis, but my mother once asked me to play the sport. And on the first day itself, I played a 70-shot rally. Then I thought about giving it a shot and gradually became very serious.”

"After that my father also started training me. Now, they are my biggest pillar of strength and I play for them.”

How expensive is table tennis?

Ankur explained, “I play with DHS W968 Hurricane Long 5 paddle which comes at Rs 48,500. It lasts for six months. I use DHs Hurricane 3 Blue Sponge national version rubber on my forehand for better spin. It comes at Rs 7000. And on the backhand, I use Butterfly Dignics 09C which is priced at Rs 6,800. It is good for backhand strokes.”

“I need to change these rubbers after every two days during practice. And when I play at tournaments, I change the rubbers in the semi-finals and final," added Ankur.

Scholarships from Khelo India, Oil India and sponsorships from Sports Authority of India have been instrumental in helping him manage the significant costs associated with high-quality equipment.

Fan of Zhang Jike

Although associated with the Dhanuka Dhunseri Soumyadeep Poulomi TT Academy, Ankur trains at a custom-designed centre on the rooftop of his house in Bishnupur Gram Panchayat, Rajarhat, on the eastern fringe of Kolkata. His father Anshuman, a former coach with Nepal and Bangladesh, doubles up as his sparring partner as well as coach.

“My biggest advantage is that I do not have to train away from home. When other players have to train under coaches at academies and train with multiple sparring partners, I train under my father and he doubles up as my sparring partner," he said.

"So, my father’s focus has always been on me and uplifting my game. When I go to the India camp, I always stay connected to my father. He also travels with me to the WTT events as well. It has become much easier for me to have my father as my coach,” added Ankur.

A big fan of legendary Chinese paddler Zhang Jike, Ankur, confident in negotiating the challenges of transition, aspires to emulate his idol’s spin-oriented technique to thump opponents with aggressiveness, mighty smashes, speed, and precision. "I watch his match videos whenever I get the chance, and I admire his aggressive style of play the most. He is my idol," Ankur said.

While meeting his idol Zhang is a dream, Ankur has another player in his sights. "I want to play Tomokazu Harimoto because he also plays an aggressive game, and no one from India has been able to beat him," Ankur stated.